Can't get my corals/macros to grow?

[TheWackyWiz]

You ever notice how the more you learn, the less you seem to know? For some reason, I've never been able to achieve the same growth rate I had with my first tank which I barely knew what I was doing and was using bare minimum equipment.

What should I be looking at to try to keep my corals/Macros from dying/not growing?

Parameters

Date	PH/HRPH	Salinity	Calcium (Ca2+)	kH	Phosphate	Ammonia	Nitrate
11/23/22	8.2	1.026	500	8	0.00	0.25	10.00
12/2/22	8.2	1.025	460	7	0.25	1.00	5.00
12/12/22	8.4	1.025	480	7	0.00	0.50	2.50
12/27/22	8.4	1.025	480	8	0.00	0.25	5.00
1/19/23	8.2	1.025	460	8	0.00	0.25	0.00
2/6/23	8.4	1.025	460	8	0.00	0.25	10.00
3/29/23	8.2	1.028	480	9	0.25		0.00
4/18/23	8.2	1.026	440	9	0.25	0.25	5.00
5/17/23	8.2	1.027	440	11	0.25	0.25	5.00
6/20	8.2	1.027	420	10	1.00	0.25	10.00
8/25/23	7.8	1.027	460	9	0.50	0.25	5.00

Temp: 81-82F

Equipment:
Fiji 20g AIO Peninsula with Auto Top Off and UV sterlization in the return chamber
Orbit Marine Loop LED
Ehiem 120W

Corals/Macro
Rock flower Anems - Doing great

Zoa- Closed at the moment but generally open just hasn't really created new heads - on a rock on the bottom

GSP- Closed up for a while

Blasto- Might be a goner. It's gotten progressively more and more bleached out regardless of positioning

Cactus Caulerpa- Tips whitening and dying

P.S. - I am aware of the aptasia and kill them when I can with Aptasia X/Super Glue

 

[Iamnotyourtrigger]

I'm using AB+, my calcium is less than 380 consistently, and my pH is 8.1 but I am getting decent growth. Do you use reef roids or anything like that?

 

[John Bolden]

It looks to me that your having a decent amount of swinging in parameters the zoas take a little bit to get settled in then they start to grow. I would also look into your ammonia it should be 0 what test kit are you using. Try to keep your levels stable kill the aptasia and just let things play out.

 

[TheWackyWiz]

I'm using AB+, my calcium is less than 380 consistently, and my pH is 8.1 but I am getting decent growth. Do you use reef roids or anything like that?

Yup I feed reef roids a couple of times a week.

 

[TheWackyWiz]

It looks to me that your having a decent amount of swinging in parameters the zoas take a little bit to get settled in then they start to grow. I would also look into your ammonia it should be 0 what test kit are you using. Try to keep your levels stable kill the aptasia and just let things play out.

For most the params I use the standard API Reef kit which I know is not the best option but has worked well enough in the past. I had read that if you're going to get one high quality testers its the Hanna ULR Phosphate one. I think the ammonia number is a false positive as I have not other signs of ammonia in the system.

Will try to keep things more stable.

 

[w8lifts]

I think it is the swinging PO4 personally. Maybe get an auto feeder or dosing pump to smooth it out. Also my acans and blastos get really fluffy when my nitrates are 15 +

 

[Propane]

I didnt notice your nutrient levels listed. Move the blasto into the shady spot and it might help it a bit.

Edit. Found the nutrients lol